The process of getting a puppy
One of our goals is to make sure you have a smooth and enjoyable time selecting and bringing home a puppy. We welcome your questions and look forward to interacting with you.
1 – CHOOSE BREED
The first step in securing a puppy is to decide what kind of dog is the best fit for you. Will a medium or large dog fit into your home and lifestyle? Will a smaller dog work better for you? Another issue to consider is coat. Do you or any of your family members have allergies? If so, you want to look for a puppy that is no- or low-shedding.
2 – CHOOSE A LIST
Timing is also important; you need to be totally ready for a puppy. Adding a puppy to your life is like bringing home a baby from the hospital. The puppy will need lots of attention, especially at first.
Talk to us about timing of upcoming litters, and we will help you get on a list for a litter that fits into your life (and your schedule).
We usually open the list for a litter six months before the litter is expected to be born. To find out which lists are currently open, please click on the link below.
A few simple steps
1
Choose a breed.
2
Choose a list.
3
Pay the deposit to secure a puppy.
4
Wait, but feel free to check in.
3 – PAY THE DEPOSIT
When ready, you will pay a deposit, and this will secure your spot in line. The deposit is fully refundable until the time we have a confirmed pregnancy, usually about five weeks before the due date. After that, it becomes non-refundable. However, your deposit can always be transferred to a future litter.
We accept deposits in the following ways:
⇒ Paypal
⇒ Money order
⇒ Cashier’s check
⇒ Personal check (the spot is secured when the check clears the bank)
Before you make a deposit, please contact us at bluffcountrybernedoodles@gmail.com so that we can provide you with more information about the upcoming litter and answer any questions you may have. We will let you know about your spot in the selection process and give you details about how to send your deposit.
Your deposit will hold your spot on one of our puppy lists.
Listening for puppy heartbeats
A stethoscope: an essential tool
4 – WAIT (but feel free to contact us)
Once you have secured a puppy with a deposit, it is just a matter of waiting until the puppies make their arrival. We will let you know when the parents have bred, and at that point we can give you a projected due date. Of course the due date is just that, an educated guess. It can vary by a few days, just like with humans. To be absolutely sure that the pregnancy has taken, we will confirm pregnancy with an ultrasound about five weeks after breeding.
While you wait, we are busy behind the scenes. We feed the expectant mama a diet rich in nutrients. We monitor her growth. As we approach the due date, we take her temperature and listen for puppy heartbeats. It is always a thrill to feel one of the puppies kick. Then we know the time for whelping is close.
Read on to learn more about our process. Next up? Birth and first weeks.